The Progressive Movement

The Progressive Movement

START

1880-1920

Index

01. Introduction

06. Muckrakers

02. Negative Effects

07. Women's Suffrage

03. Labor Unions

08. Civil Rights

04. Strikes!

09. Temperance

05. Workplace Recforms

Index

The Progressive Era

a. A period of social activism and political reform in the US b. Hoped to make the US a safer and better place to live by… i. Restricting child labor ii. Forming unions iii. Improve working conditions and wages iv. Give women the right to vote

This political cartoon depcits the right to vote (represtented by the woman with the torch) making its way across the US. The white states had already given women the right to vote before the 19th amendment was passed in 1920.

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Negative Effects of Industrialization

c. Unsafe working conditions

b. Low wages, long hours

a. Child Labor

f. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

e. Monopolies

d. Negative impact on the environment

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Index

Labor Unions

a. Labor unions were created to help protect working people.i. They advocated for higher wages, safer conditions, and shorter hours.b. American Federation of Labor: a group of labor unions that work together to support many types of workers

This is a photograph of Samuel Gompers. He was a workers' rights advocate and founded the American Federation of Labor. This organization was made up of multiple different labor unions working together to win rights for workers, including safer working conditions, shorter hours, and higher wages. Samuel Gompers and the AFL are the reason we have a five day, 40 hour work week today.

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Strikes!

b. Homestead Strike

a. Haymarket Affair

i. Workers were peacefully protesting for an 8 hour work day.ii. Someone threw a bomb at police as they tried to end the protest. iii.. Police began to fire into the crowd. iv. The event led to the deaths of 7 police officers, 4 civilians, and dozens of injuries.

i. Strike organized by members of a steelworker union against Carnegie Steel at the Homestead Steel Factory. ii. Strikebreakers were hired by Carnegie to end the strike. iii. The governor of Pennsylvania sent the National Guard to assist the strikebreakers. iv. The strike was broken after violence broke out between the National Guard and the strikers.

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Workplace Reform

a. During the Progressive Movement, many workplace reform laws were passed by the federal and state governments.b. Improved safety conditions c. Reduced work hours d. Restrictions on child labor e. Higher wages

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Muckrakers

a. Muckrakers were journalists and photographers who investigated corrupt businesses and government officials. b. They increased public awareness around urban poverty, child labor, lynchings, and unsafe working conditions. c. Ida B. Wells-Barnett d. Upton Sinclair e. Jacob Riis f. Nellie Bly

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Women's Movement

a. Increased educational opportunities for women b. Encouraged the passage of the 19th Amendmenti. Passed in 1920ii. Gave women the right to vote c. Settlement Houses i. Assisted women and children moving into cities ii. Hull House iii. YWCA

a. Susan B. Anthonyb. Elizabeth Cady Stanton c. Alice Paul d. Lucy Burns

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Civil Rights

a. Civil rights during the Industrial Era focused on protecting not only rights, but African Americans themselvesb. Lynchings of black people were very common throughout the South. c. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909. i. W.E.B. DuBois ii. Ida B. Wells-Barnett

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Temperence Movement

a. Composed of groups opposed to the making and consumption of alcoholb. Supported the 18th Amendment that banned alcohol in the US

Carry A. Nation, aka 'Hatchet Granny'

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Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an investigative journalist and an early leader of the NAACP who spent much of her career combating prejudice and violence. She wrote many articles about the experiences of black Americans in the South, partiuclarly lynchings. She was also an ardent supporter of women's rights and was heavily involved in the women's suffrage movement.

Susan B. Anthony

Perhaps one of the most well-remember suffragists, Susan B. Anthony was an early leader of the national women's movement. Born into a Quaker family, she advocated not only for women's rights, but also for the abolition of slavery. Early in her activism, she made a name for herself by wearing the controversial 'Bloomer dress', a dress that had a knee-length skirt with loose pants underneath.

NAACP

The NAACP, founded in 1909, was created to pursue justice for African Americans. They used political lobbying, publicity, and litigation to get equal rights for African Americans. They offered legal assisstance in cases such as Brown v. Board (which ended legal segregation) and Loving v. Virginia (which ended a law preventing people of different races from getting married). The NAACP is the largest and oldest civil rights group in the US.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The deadliest industrial disaster in US history.

The Triangle Factory, located in Manhattan, produced women's blouses (known as shirtwaists) and was located on the top three floors of a 10 story building. On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out on the 8th floor. Because of the large amount of fabric present, the fire spread quickly. The doors leading to the stairwells were locked to prevent workers from taking breaks, leaving the two elevators as the only safe escape route. The elevator operators continued to run the elevators until the fire caused the cars to warp and get stuck. There were no fire escapes or sprinklers in the building, leading the remaining workers to perish in the fire while others jumped from the windows to try to save themselves. A total of 146 workers perished, mostly young women and girls. The two owners of the factory, who were both present when the fire started, had escaped to the roof and survived the incident. Both of them were put on trial for manslaughter, but were found not guilty. They were, however, found liable in a wrongful death suit and were ordered to pay $75 per victim to the victims' families. After this incident, many fire codes were passed, including requiring fire escapes and sprinklers. The building still stands today and houses NYU's Biology and Chemistry departments.

This cartoon was created shortly after the incident. It depicts a factory owner, dressed in money with the key bearing a dollar sign, holding the factory door shut while the workers try to escape the flames.

Alice Paul

Alice was a Quaker and women's rights activity. She helped to plan the 'Silent Sentinels' protests in which over 2,000 women peacefully picketed in front of the White House. Around 500 people involved with the protest were arrested and 168 served jail time. Along with her friend Lucy Burns, Alice served multiple jail sentences and endured harsh treatment by prison guards.

Upton Sinclair

Sinclair became well-known after the publication of his book, The Jungle. The book outlined the unsantiary conditions of meatpacking plants in Chicago and the experiences of the mostly immigrant workers. Aside from the long hours and low wages experienced by the workers, the book also outlines rotting meat being 'cleaned up' with chemicals and packaged to be sold to customers along with rats and sawdust being swept into the meat. After the book was published, the US government passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.

Radium Girls

In 1922, a company called the Radium Dial Company began producing watches that were painted with radium. This allowed the numbers and watch hands to glow in the dark.The issue? Radium is radioactive. The women who worked for the company were told to 'point' their brushes with their lips to create a finer point. This caused the women to ingest radium and resulted in women in three seperate factories developing radiation poisoning. An autopsy was performed on one woman who died and doctors found her organs had turned green from radiation.

Monopolies

Monopolies are created when a single company controls most or all of a particular industry. Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt all created monopolies within their respective industries. Monopolies causes prices to increase due to a lack of competition, which can harm the economy. In 1890, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust act, effectively banning monopolies in the United States. Companies who are found to be in violation of this law can have their companies broken up and sold off to create competition in the market.

Child Labor in the US

Child labor in the late 1800s was very common in the United States and grew as industries grew. Children would work in factories, mines, on the streets selling newspapers, on farms, and even as chimney sweeps. Some children would start working as young as 5 years old. They could earn anywhere from $.50 per day to $2 a week and work anywhere from 12 to 16 hours a day. In most cases, children were expected to work the same hours and the same jobs as adults.

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis was a photographer who spent much of his career documenting the lives of immigrants living in the slums of New York City. He released a book of his photographs titled How the Other Half Lives, allowing upper class New Yorkers to get a glimpse of the living conditions in New York tenements. His photographs led to many housing reforms and the demolition of unsafe tenements. Click the + button to view some of Jacob's photographs!

Caroline Ameila Nation

Carrie Nation was one of the most prominent members of the Temperence Movement during the late 19th century. After her first husband died of alcoholism, she became an ardent supporter of a total ban on alcohol in the US. She earned her nickname, 'Hatchet Granny', by attacking and destroying saloon bars with a hatchet with her followers. She traveled around the US giving speeches about the evils of alcohol and selling hatchet-themed souvenirs.

Hours & Wages

For most working class people during the Industrial Era, wages were low despite the fact that many people worked long hours. Hours could range from 12 to 16 hour days thanks to new electric lighting. By 1900, the average wage for a working person was $.20 per hour or roughly $600 a year. Business owners used long hours and low wages to keep their workers in line and under control. In some cases, workers rented their homes from their bosses. This meant that their income was even less.

Lucy Burns

Lucy Burns was an active member of the Women's Suffrage Movement in both the US and the UK. She was a close friend of fellow activst Alice Paul. She was arrested six times for her activism, mostly while silently picketing in front of the White House. She spent more time in prison than most other suffragists and enured extremely harsh conditions, including being forcibly fed during a hunger strike and being beaten by guards.

Pollution

With the rise of the use of resources like coal and oil, air pollution was dramatically increased during the Industrial Era. People living near factories burning coal had higher rates of respiratory illnesses and death. Cities suffered from issues like smog, clouds of noxious gases hanging over areas that had high numbers of factories.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Stanton was an early suffragist and the main force behind the Seneca Falls Convention, a convention that was the first of its kind and discussed women's rights. She was the main author of the Declaration of Sentiments, a document that was modeled after the Declaration of Independence and listed the complaints of women living in America. Stanton was also a supporter of human rights in general and was a vocal abolitionist.

Nellie Bly

Born Elizabeth Cochran, Nellie Bly became well-known for her book, Ten Days in a Mad-House. Bly went undercover and pretended to be a patient at an insane aslyum to document the brutal treatment and neglect of patients in these facilities. Her book prompted a criminal investigation into the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island and a budget increase for the Department of Public Charities and Corrections.